Sri Lankan authorities have revealed that one of the four Sri Lankans arrested in India this week for suspected links to ISIS is the son of a notorious underworld figure, Newsfirst reported.
The suspects, detained by Indian authorities, are 33-year-old Mohammad Nusrat from Periyamulla, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran from Grandpass, 35-year-old Mohammad Farish from Maligawatte and 43-year-old Mohammad Rashdeen from Kotahena.
Among them, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran has been identified as the son of Niyas Naufer, also known as ‘Potta Naufer,’ a notorious criminal sentenced to death for the murder of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya in 2004.
Further investigations revealed that Nafran, a school dropout, began frequent travel to India to purchase clothing materials for resale in Sri Lanka.
In 2017, he was arrested by Sri Lankan Police on charges filed under the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act.
The four ISIS suspects were apprehended in Ahmedabad on Monday, following a bomb threat uncovered by local authorities. Indian media reported that the terror activities were reportedly targeting the city’s airport as well as the Narendra Modi Stadium, currently hosting Indian Premier League matches.
The Hindu reported that the arrested Sri Lankans were alleged members of the National Thawheed Jamaath, the organisation accused of carrying out the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.
